CBI High
by CookiesForMe
Summary: Mentalist at high school, will maybe become angsty. Not the same as others, i promise. Please R&R x It's two schools meshed together, and one is a secret one. Please read, not as bad as it sounds, i promise x
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Hey, this is just a fun fic about high school. I know there are other ones, but I wanted to do one myself. I am English, and went to high school in England, therefore I know absolutely zilch when it comes to American high schools. For example, English high schools are for 11-16 year olds, whereas American high schools are for 14-18 year olds, right? Also, they don't have years like Freshman and Sophomore in England, it's just years 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. So, I apologise in advance if I get things wrong. All spelling mistakes and grammar errors are my own, so I'm sorry if you find any. Please let me know what you think!**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

**CBI High**

Teresa Lisbon walked through the high steel gates leading to the John Varringose High School with her school bag slung casually over her shoulder and her hair pulled back into a tight, practical French braid. She spotted an Asian boy the same age as her stood casually against one of the large white stone pillars near the front of the large brick building and made her way directly to him with a slight wave of her hand to him. Kimball Cho nodded to her in greeting as she came to stand beside him, standing far out of the way of the other students currently flooding the school property in large groups.

"They don't have a clue, do they?" Teresa asked under her breath while watching the crowds of oblivious students around them, earning herself a slight upturn of the mouth from the usually stone-faced Cho.

"Not the slightest idea," He replied in a low voice as they abruptly turned together and made their way quietly into the school building that was supposed to be empty for at least another ten minutes before the buildings doors were officially open to students.

However, this was no ordinary high school. It held a massive secret.

For all the troubled students that came here who probably should have slipped through the cracks in society a long time ago, they didn't acknowledge this school as John Varringose High School. They all knew it as CBI High.

All the children who had troubled lives and homes had this one place as a refuge from the rest of their life. Not only did they learn normal lessons like everyone else in the place, they also learnt the skills needed to investigate crimes and heighten their abilities of perception and self-defence. This was done for these children so that they could grow up on the right side of the law. Most of them would have turned to crime a long time ago if it wasn't for CBI High.

Then there were the special cases like Teresa Lisbon and Kimball Cho. Those who had seen too much violence and evil in the world already and were unable to do anything to prevent it. If you were a 'special case' then you also learnt how to handle weapons, how to fight (clean and dirty), and how to climb and run from dangerous situations if needed to. Neither Teresa nor Kimball liked being considered a 'special case', but it was preferable to the alternatives they would most likely have to deal with otherwise.

Teresa and Kimball let themselves into the empty and cold gym and set their stuff down against the nearest pale painted wall before sitting down on some of the wooden bleachers that lined the spacious room on every side.

"Why are we here Kimball?" Teresa asked, immediately earning herself a glare from Cho. "Sorry, I meant Cho."

"Sure you did," He muttered before producing a file that had been taped beneath the bleachers for them to discover. Teresa took it curiously from Cho as he began to tell her all the relevant details contained in the file.

"This guy could be considered for the special case scheme as well. New guy, starts today. Grew up in a carnival with his father but is now being made to go to school as the law tells them he had to and they forced his father to let him come here and have a formal education. Speculation of… Physical abuse," Teresa winced at the mention of the words that were also written all over the pages in her file. "Maybe other stuff, but nothing that can probably ever be proved. Guy won't say a word about it. We just need to find out some more about him to let the boss know if we think he should be accepted into the scheme or not."

"What's his name?" Teresa asked, staring at a face shot picture of a blonde teen around their age with clear green/blue eyes. He was breathtakingly beautiful, but there seemed to be a dead look in his eyes that made Teresa shudder. She had had that same look in her eyes when she had first started John Varringose High School. It was gradually began to fade when she had attended CBI High for a while, and now it only resurfaced occasionally when she was especially down. She had regained strength and confidence in herself, and had managed to keep a lid on most of her demons. She knew the dead look came when your demons overtook you and you couldn't do a thing to stop it, or you didn't even want to stop it because you were so tired of fighting it all. It was you against the world, and the world was winning.

"His name is Patrick Jane."

The shrill bell suddenly rang, signalling that it was time for homeroom and Teresa shoved the personnel file into her school bag as they hurried down the corridor to their room so that they wouldn't be marked late.

xxx

Patrick Jane wandered leisurely through the empty hallways of John Varringose High School. He didn't really want to come here, but he figured it would be a way of reading new people. He was always looking to new material to study. He didn't like having to pretend to be psychic on the carnival circuit, but his father was making him do it so he didn't have much choice. His father had raised him, and he kept telling Patrick that now was the time when he had to give something back to the man who had supposedly given him so much.

He knew he was most likely late, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't like this place, and was pretty sure this place wouldn't like him either. He turned a corner and saw a petite brunette girl talking to a tall, muscular boy with dark hair, who was obviously a jock if his red and black (the school colours) jacket was anything to go by. The girl laughed and pushed her wild, dark curls behind her ear as she answered something the boy had asked her. The boy grabbed her bag and shoved it into a locker for her to which she appeared to say thank you and they both turned around to face him, spotting him immediately. He swallowed. Well, here it goes, he thought. Time for me to explain I'm not a girl and get the laughing over my name out of the way.

The girl walked straight up to him, not seeming in the least bit afraid of him at all, the tall boy following maybe a step or two behind her. She held her hand out to him politely. "I'm Teresa Lisbon." She said, and turned to glare at the tall boy, who ambled up and also presented his hand to Patrick. Patrick had to stifle the urge to laugh. This boy was miles taller than Teresa, yet she seemed to be the one ordering him around. "Wayne Rigsby." He mumbled, glancing at Teresa who smiled slightly at him. Patrick was about to answer when angry shouting could be heard down the corridor and a door flew open, a tall, dark haired freshman storming out and making his way down the corridor at a fast pace. Teresa sighed.

"And that's my brother Tommy," She sighed in frustration. "I wonder what he did this time. I swear, if the teachers' phone home again, we are all in so much trouble." Rigsby nodded sympathetically but Patrick was confused. Why would all her family be in trouble if it was just Tommy's fault? Wayne caught Teresa's arm lightly as she made to go after her younger brother.

"Don't," He told her gently. "Let him calm down for a bit. You know what he's like; if you go after him now then he'll just get angrier and take it out on you. I'll talk to him later for you. Does he know yet?"

Teresa went bright red and suddenly found the floor the most interesting thing in the world to look at. "No," she mumbled and Wayne's face contorted in pain and concern. "I was gonna, you know, but dad came home and…" She trailed off self-consciously, refusing to finish the sentence, but Wayne nodded anyway.

"Anyway, man, what's your name?" Wayne asked Patrick, who had been listening intently. So, Teresa had at least one brother, and he had quite a temper, that was for sure. But it also looked like she didn't like talking about her family here, which seemed odd to him. Coming back to the present, he knew he couldn't put off the question any longer.

"I'm Patrick Jane," He said, staring straight at the two stood before him. It might be uncomfortable for him, but he never shied down from anything. He was too stubborn to do that. He waited for the laughing to start, but it never came. Wayne just shook his hand politely.

Teresa smiled at him and said, "Hey, Patrick, you do know you're late for homeroom, right?"

"Probably," He answered with a grin, causing both Teresa and Wayne to roll their eyes but smile back anyway. Suddenly, a boy appeared at the end of the corridor and began walking purposefully towards the trio.

"Shit," Teresa muttered under her breath. Wayne seemed just as panicked as he too whispered, "Crap. Why him?"

"Because he's a miserable guy who likes to make our life hell." Teresa answered urgently in a low voice before putting a fake smile on her face and greeting the clearly arrogant boy politely. "Hello, Luther, how are you today?"

"Lisbon, Rigsby, why aren't you in class? And why is there a new guy stood with you? Not the best way to make friends by the way," He added to Patrick, causing the eye roll from Teresa and Wayne again. "No-one really talks to those types of people."

"What type of people?" Patrick asked curiously. Teresa and Wayne looked at each other and sighed. Luther always did this to new people. He always warned them away from their little group and no-one ever came near them anymore.

"The special people, of course. Teresa here is violently unstable, and Wayne here has a massive anger issue with everyone he meets. Not to mention the rest of them."

"Just because I took you down with little effort and you fell unconscious does not mean I'm violently unstable," Teresa pointed out, leaning casually against the wall as though she had all the time in the world to stand and argue. "It just means I don't like you and you deserved it."

Wayne started laughing and Luther's face went even sourer. "Well," He said, facing Patrick. "I won't give you a detention, seeing as it's your first day and you probably just got lost. These corridors are kind of a maze to get round. You two," He pointed at Teresa and Wayne, who both looked like they were ready to kill him if he carried on with his pompous attitude. "Have detention after school for a week. Make sure you're there." Teresa and Wayne gave him mock salutes as he strutted back down the corridor and out of sight.

"He says that almost every day to us," Wayne said, clearly trying not to laugh. "What makes him think we're going to go?"

"I have no idea," Teresa said, trying to hide her laughter as well. "Oh well, let's get to class."

"Hang on," Patrick said, drawing their attention back to him. "You don't go to detentions?"

"No," The two said in unison, as though the answer was obvious to everyone. Wayne reached into the locker and retrieved Teresa's bag for her, and she took it with a grateful look to him.

"What class you got now?" Teresa asked Patrick, and he pulled the class schedule out of his back, looking at it confusedly as he tried to make sense of it. Teresa took it from him kindly and looked at it for him.

"You have French with Miss Burgen right now," She told him, pointing to the right page for him. "That's just a one week timetable. You just follow the same thing every week for the whole year, unless it gets changed for some reason. You'll get used to it. And I'll take you to French; I'm in the same class."

"I have English," Wayne told him as he turned to go the opposite way to him and Teresa. "I'll save us the usual table at lunch, T."

"Okay, see you, Wayne." Teresa called back to him as she led Patrick down a maze of corridors until they got to the French classroom. She walked in with Patrick following closely behind as he watched her sit next to a red-haired girl who seemed really happy to see her. There was an empty seat next to Teresa, so he sat down in it as it seemed that no-one else would. The red-haired girl seemed to notice him then and looked at him questioningly. Teresa laughed.

"Grace, this is Patrick Jane. Patrick, this is Grace Van Pelt." She introduced politely. Grace shook his hand enthusiastically and Patrick couldn't help but grin. Here was a room full of teenagers and here she was, acting like a six year old on a sugar rush.

Suddenly, Miss Burgen swept into the room and all talking ceased immediately. She addressed the class in fluent French and only some of them answered back, including Teresa, he noticed. The teacher set the work and began making rounds of the classroom. She stopped to ask Teresa something and Patrick watched as she answered in perfect French. The teacher smiled and said in English, "Very good Teresa. Although I don't approve of your rather _choice_ language, it was a very good answer." Teresa snickered into her hand while Grace tried her best not to laugh, failing miserably. However, Teresa soon sobered at the teacher's next words. "And Mr Minelli would like to see you in his office."

Teresa's eyes widened. "What? I haven't done anything! This time, at least."

"I know, but you still have to go. Maybe it's for something good this time." Teresa just looked at the teacher as she grabbed her things, and Miss Burgen sighed. "Okay, I admit he doesn't do things like that very often, and it is more likely he is going to yell at you, but it could be good. You never know, it could be."

Teresa just shook her head, muttered, "I'll be back," to Grace and Patrick, and disappeared from the room with her bag slung over her shoulder once more.

xxx

Teresa knocked on the principal's door and heard a shouted, "come in!" Opening the door cautiously, Teresa slipped in silently and sat on the opposite side to Mr Minelli, the school principal. Minelli looked down at the surly teen before him and sighed.

"What am I supposed to have done this time, sir?" She asked in a monotone voice, sitting primly and proper in the chair before him.

Minelli sighed again. "It's not you this time Teresa. It's about Tommy."

"What did he do this time?"

"Verbally abused a teacher and stormed out of his classroom, disrupting the whole lesson."

"What teacher?"

"Mr Langley."

Teresa snorted, then seemed to remember herself and stopped her expressions in their tracks, her face changing back to an emotionless mask in less than a second. "I can't make him apologise for that," She told Minelli firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because if I wasn't as restrained as I am then I would have done the same, if not more, to Mr Langley years ago. And I bet Tommy had a reason for doing that."

"Apparently he did," Minelli said, looking down at his notepad. "He says that Mr Langley made some, let's say, _inappropriate_ remarks about you in front of Tommy, and he began telling Mr Langley exactly what he thought of him." Minelli looked up to see Teresa trying to hide a smile. "What?"

"Mr Langley was upset because I refused to, how do you say it, _succumb_ to his wishes. Mr Langley would then try to bad mouth me to everyone, I know that. I won't discipline Tommy for supporting me. I'm guessing you called me in here because you didn't want to get dad involved."

"How is Mr Lisbon?" Minelli asked, instantly concerned. Teresa had been in his office so many times that he actually called her down from class just for chats now, though he'd never let anyone else know that. He felt responsible for Teresa and her brothers, and was always concerned for their welfare.

"He's… the same, I guess." Teresa said eventually. "He's hitting my brothers less now, which is a good thing."

"Good," Minelli said, leaning back in his chair and waving to Teresa as she headed for the door. She turned at the last moment. "Sir, may I have a toilet pass?"

"Sure." Minelli passed Teresa the piece of paper and she hurried from the room, throwing a few words of thanks over her shoulder as she went.

xxx

She sat on the toilet-seat lid, shaking slightly as she removed the dressing from her left side and inspected the jagged cut to her side. It hurt badly, but she knew she had to change the dressing anyway. If she didn't, it would get infected and then she would have to tell someone what had happened to her. It was slightly obvious that she couldn't have done this to herself. It was bad enough she would have to tell the school 'nurse' about what had happened, but she didn't have to do that until the end of the day. She applied another bandage to the wound and stood up on wobbly legs, disposing of the red stained dressing in the waste bin. She had to get back to lesson, no matter how bad she was feeling.

xxx

Patrick turned to Grace as soon as Miss Burgen moved on from their table. "Where did Teresa go?" He whispered to her. Grace glanced up to make sure Miss Burgen was nowhere near them before answering.

"Well as far as I know, she hasn't done anything wrong today, so my guess is she was called because of Tommy."

"Her brother?"

"Yep, her brother. I heard he yelled at Mr Langley and stormed out of the room. Can't say I blame him though. Creepy guy is Mr Langley."

Patrick was about to ask another question when Teresa walked back into the room. She seemed to be in pain, as Patrick saw she favoured her right side a lot. He decided not to say anything though. It could just be cramps or something and he didn't want to get her into trouble. Teresa sat down and pulled her French book back out of her bag.

"Tommy?" Grace asked and Teresa nodded.

"Stupid guy tried to stick up for me. It's sweet, but stupid. Langley will have it in for him all year now."

"Why did Tommy-?"

"He stuck up for me. I turned Langley down and he couldn't take it. Most of the girls in our year fawn all over him and do whatever he asks. I wouldn't do the same so he began bad mouthing me to his homeroom, not realising Tommy was there. Tommy lost his temper, that's all."

"So, Minelli wanted you to get him to apologise?"

"Nope."

"What?"

"I told him I wouldn't discipline Tommy over something like that. Langley deserved it, we all know that. He needs to learn that he can't get all the teenage girls in this place, and that others will support those who don't bow down to everything he wants. He deserves it; you know that."

"Fair enough," Grace shrugged and went back to her work, as did Teresa. Patrick stared off into space. He had though high school would be boring and a waste of his otherwise supposedly precious time. Now it seemed that this particular high school would be one of the most interesting adventures of his life. And he might just make some friends along the way.

**TBC…? I only continue if that is what you all want.**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Hey, thank you to Babi Baker, 'Souza, Superpicklechops, and Lothlorien Aeterna for your really encouraging reviews, as I would most likely not be updating without your encouragement and positivity. Also, thank you to all the people who have put this story on their favourites and story alerts. Your support means the world to me. Anyway, here is the next chapter. I write when inspiration strikes, so I don't stick to a time scale unfortunately. However, I will do my best to update whenever I can. Here is chapter 2! Enjoy and please let me know what you all think! Warning: Violence and maybe language in here but only as bad as the first chapter for language, so really not that bad on that front.**

**I do not own the mentalist, just my twisted and messed up mind with which I mess with characters a lot. I'm definitely weird, but that doesn't mean I own the mentalist, unfortunately.**

**CBI High Chapter 2**

It was finally dinnertime in the school and Patrick followed Teresa and Grace into the crowded cafeteria warily. There were lots of different sized tables littered around, and each table seemed to have a different theme to it with lots of crowds of teenagers round them. Teresa and Grace just rolled their eyes as they walked past the hoards of jocks and cheerleaders until they reached an almost empty table near the back of the large, airy room. Sat at the table was Wayne, Kimball, Tommy and another boy who looked almost identical to Tommy. Teresa sat beside Tommy, placing her tray gently onto the table as she did.

"This is Cho," She told Patrick, who had sat beside her on instinct. "You've met Wayne, seen my brother Tommy, and this is also my brother, James. Everyone, this is Patrick Jane."

Tommy watched his sister warily; waiting for the yelling he was sure would come soon from his big sister's lips. If Minelli had kept his word and not rang up his dad, then it was certain that he would have called his big sister into the office instead. Teresa turned to face him with an uncertain half-smile.

"Thank you Tommy," She whispered to him and Tommy stared at her in utter shock. "It was stupid," She added thoughtfully, but still smiling at him. "But it was sweet of you. I already told Minelli I wasn't going to discipline you for doing that."

"Really, Reese?" Tommy asked incredulously. Teresa nodded, keeping eye contact with her brother. He smiled back and gave her a hug, though she winced when he caught her side by accident. Tommy didn't seem to notice though as he continued hugging her just as tightly.

"See? I told you she wouldn't be angry with you, man," James told Tommy, who laughed and punched his brother's arm playfully. It then turned into a mini play fight at the table. Patrick watched it all in shock. He hadn't realised that people could be like this on a day to day basis. Teresa saw his expression and leaned over to him to whisper in his ear.

"They're twins and they are always like this. Don't worry, you'll get used to them, just like everything else in this place."

Patrick nodded his understanding and began trying to eat the cafeteria food he had picked up. The food wasn't completely inedible, although it could have been much better. Grace saw his face screw up in disgust at the taste and laughed.

"You don't think we actually eat this junk, do you?" She asked him, causing Patrick to look up, utterly confused. "We don't eat here, ever."

"Where do you eat then?" Patrick asked curiously as he pushed his tray away from him. Teresa produced a piece of paper from her pocket and showed it to him.

"That paper gets you anywhere you want at any time, providing you get to the right people," Teresa explained to him, before addressing the whole group. "Unfortunately, it's Bill on guard at the front gate today, so it's me and Grace going to talk to him to get ourselves out of here. This paper isn't enough to get us out today. Wayne, Cho, look after Blondie here or he'll throw the entire thing and we'll never get out of here without permission again."

Teresa and Grace got up at that moment, depositing their completely uneaten food in the nearest trash can before exiting the canteen without anyone noticing to pair. The boys just sat there, not even bothering to talk without the girls present. Suddenly, the two Lisbon brothers got up and walked out of another exit that Patrick hadn't seen before, again without anyone noticing anything unusual.

Wayne and Cho exchanged glances and stood, Patrick only half a second slower than they were. They looked round quickly before going out from a door that looked rarely used by anyone. It led straight outside into the front grounds and Wayne and Cho ducked behind some bushes, dragging Patrick with them. Parting the leaves quietly, Patrick watched as the two girls clearly charmed the security guard, flirting with him mercilessly to get what they wanted. Just when he thought they had gotten away with it, the principal showed up from around a corner, and said loudly, "Okay, all of you out from your hiding place, right now."

Reluctantly, all five boys stood up and Minelli sighed, running a hand through his hair as he quickly came to a decision.

"Bill, let these seven kids out whenever they want, okay?"

"Sir?" Teresa asked incredulously, staring at Minelli in shock and confusion. Minelli looked at her and smiled slightly at the confused teenager.

"Teresa, you would find a way out of here no matter what you have to do to get what you want. I won't make you stay in here if that's not what you want. As long as you come back, of course."

"Thank you, sir."

"Anytime, Teresa. You know that."

"Yes, sir."

"Now disappear, the lot of you," He said with a grin, waving the seven teens off with a short laugh. "Go get something that actually tastes like food for a change. Teresa, can I have a word before you join them?"

Teresa nodded her consent and the others walked out of the gates to wait for her on the corner of the street.

xxx

"Teresa, you told me he was hitting your brothers less."

Teresa nodded, looking confused. "Yes, that's true."

Minelli nodded thoughtfully before speaking again. "He's hitting you more, isn't he? You're taking all the hits for your brothers, aren't you?"

She nodded, albeit reluctantly this time as she focused solely on the ground below her, refusing to meet Minelli's eyes. "It's not that often, and they don't even know about it. David thinks his dad is finally coming back to us, and he's so happy. I won't destroy his hopes like that and-" Teresa tried to justify what was happening to her, but Minelli cut her off before she could finish.

"Where?"

Teresa wordlessly lifted the left side of her shirt high enough so he could see the dressing she had put over the cut in an attempt to cover it up and allow it to heal so she wouldn't have to tell anyone. Minelli gasped in shock and horror as he ran his fingers lightly over the dressing, hearing Teresa take a sharp intake of breath as he touched the cut accidentally, though he tried to be gentle.

"Really? He cut you?"

"Really. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be used to it though, Teresa."

"I wish I wasn't, believe me."

Minelli pulled Teresa into a short hug, which she reciprocated immediately. She rarely got the whole loving parent thing anymore, and Minelli was more of a dad to her than her father had been for years. He cared about her and her welfare, which was more than her father had done for her.

"Do you and your brothers want to stay at mine tonight, Tess?" He murmured into her hair as he patted it soothingly. Teresa nodded against his shoulder.

"Please, Virgil. He's still there, lay at home, I know he is. I don't think I can take much more from him until the cut has healed. I can't let my little brothers get hurt. They think dad is getting better. I can't ruin those hopes for them. I know I have to tell them and I will tell them tonight. I just didn't want to do it at home."

"Okay then," Minelli let Teresa go and watched as she pulled her shirt back into place and put her bag back over her shoulder. "I'll pick little David up from school if you want and bring him here while you finish your… studies."

Teresa laughed. "Yeah, David likes you so I don't think that would be a problem. Just please make sure he hasn't gotten into any more fights. Those teachers in his school automatically ring dad instead of me, and I don't want him hurt because of a stupid mistake."

"Sure thing, Tess, now go get some food and tell your brothers that they'll be staying with me tonight. Make sure you're back in time for afternoon classes though." He told her and she began to run towards the others, waving to him as she did.

Minelli sighed. He was close to filing for adoption of the Lisbon children, and he didn't think the boys would mind too much if they knew what was really going on at home. However, Teresa was the stubborn one. She'd been their sole up-bringer for years, and he doubted that she wanted anyone to know the real situation surrounding their family. She needed help though, and Minelli knew she knew that. She couldn't look after them forever. She needed a life too, and she wasn't going to get one if she was taking abuse from her alcoholic father and raising her three brothers single-handedly.

xxx

The others had stood patiently waiting for Teresa, who ran up after a few minutes, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "He's picking David up for me after his school finishes," She gasped out to the twins, who nodded understandingly. Wayne grinned.

"Hey, David will be here later?" Teresa nodded as she finally calmed her breathing down. "Cool, I can show him some more football." The three Lisbons all laughed at Wayne's happy expression. Patrick was still confused, but decided to go along with it.

They all wandered down to a small café where the usual six teens were greeted warmly. Teresa introduced Patrick and told the owners he would be a regular, so he should be served even if they weren't there. Patrick told them what he wanted to eat and the rest of them asked for 'the usual'. The food came and went as they talked about everything and nothing.

Patrick noticed something strange though. Not one of these people would talk about their parents at all. Teresa and her brothers simply ignored any and all questions about their parents. Wayne deliberately changed the subject if asked about his parents. Cho just watched him until he got uncomfortable and agreed not to ask him questions about that subject again. Grace got red and watery-eyed and had to be comforted by Teresa when her family was mentioned. Not one of them asked about his parents either, for which he was grateful, though confused.

They were just about to go when the door opened and a heavy set man with dark hair and a strong smell of alcohol strode in. Instinctively, Teresa, Tommy and James all ducked, and stayed down near the floor as he checked the café for a moment with bloodshot eyes.

"Anyone seen my good-for-nothing kids?" He slurred to the inhabitants of the café, who either shrugged or shook their heads so as not to give away the presence of three of his children. They didn't like the man and would much rather protect the children from him than tell him anything he wanted to know. He watched the people for a moment before shrugging and walking back out of the place.

The three teenagers looked at each other in relief but made no move to get up as yet another heavy set man walked purposefully in. Everyone seemed scared this time as Wayne ducked next to Teresa and her brothers so he wasn't spotted either. This man looked round carefully before speaking.

"Has anyone seen either my god awful boy or any of Mark's kids?" He asked the room, but no-one answered, everyone refusing to even make eye contact with him. He sighed and walked out as well, but none of the four teenagers would get up from the floor. Teresa pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialled a number.

"_Tess?"_

"Hey, Virgil, we need your help."

"_You all at that little café?"_

"Yep."

"_I'll bring the truck for you all to climb in, though you'll have to be quick or you'll get caught by your parents."_

"Thanks."

She hung up the phone and placed it back into her bag. "Minelli's coming for us."

xxx

Minelli beeped his horn and immediately seven teens ran for the bed of his pickup truck. Teresa was the last to come out of the café as her injury was playing up again and she was finding it increasingly difficult to move quickly, and her father managed to catch her just before she could vault up into the pickup truck.

"Come here you!" He growled menacingly as he dragged her away from the truck by her hair, hitting her constantly as he did so. She kept quiet on her whimpers and screams of pain as he continued to beat her fiercely in front of everyone. He broke on of his empty beer bottles against the nearest wall and threw the shards forcefully down into her. She screamed as one of them tore straight through her shirt and settled deep into her shoulder. He stumbled back from his bruised and bloodied daughter and wobbled down a dark alley, leaving his only daughter in agony by the sidewalk, not caring if she lived or not.

Patrick could only watch in astonishment, shock and horror as the man who appeared to be Teresa's father beat the shit out of her again and again before throwing sharp glass shards at her. He then watched as she got up and brushed herself off as though nothing had happened. He watched in confusion as she winced when she pulled the long shard of glass from her shoulder and threw it to the sidewalk beside her. Any normal person wouldn't even be able to get up after something like that, never mind clean themselves up afterwards. She then picked up her fallen books, shoving them back into her school bag and pulled herself into the pickup, knocking loudly on the roof to let Virgil know they were all in and he could set off.

Tommy and James looked at each other in horror. He'd never hurt any of them with anything other than his fists or feet before now, and to see Teresa totally un-reactive when he'd hurt her with glass was more than a bit worrying. Teresa sat curled into a ball in a corner of the pickup while she attempted to clean the wound in her shoulder. Cho helped her silently. Grace just looked scared, though Wayne looked like that kind of thing was normal for him to witness. He just looked queasy at the fact that they'd hurt Teresa and not someone else.

Not for the first time, Patrick wondered what was really going on here.

xxx

It was the end of the average school day by the time that they all got back to school, but it didn't look like any of them were considering going home. He didn't really want to go home either, but he didn't really think he had another choice. Teresa hauled herself out of the bed of the pickup with a lot of effort, closely followed by the other teens. Minelli got out of the driver's seat and pulled Teresa in for a hug immediately. She returned it hesitantly. Eventually, Minelli pulled away, and Teresa was immediately supported on all sides by her brothers and her friends. Minelli hopped back into the truck.

"I'm gonna pick up David. I'll be back soon. Patrick, you can stay with them for a while, if you want. Teresa and Cho will explain everything for you."

Minelli drove off as Teresa and Kimball looked at each other in shock. They never expected Minelli to let Patrick into the scheme on his first day but they couldn't fight him on his decision. Teresa sighed and turned to hobble in to be met by the French teacher. Miss Burgen just stared with an indescribable emotion in her eyes for a moment then sighed and put her arm around Teresa's waist gently to help her inside with the others following closely behind them.

xxx

"Your father again?" Miss Burgen asked when she had sat Teresa down in the empty gym. Teresa nodded, keeping her hand pressed to her shoulder in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Minelli said we have to tell Patrick now."

"Really? Virgil said that?"

"Yes," Cho interrupted, handing a first aid kit to the teacher, who immediately began searching through it for the right supplies to sort Teresa's injuries. Miss Burgen nodded as she pulled the sleeve of Teresa's shirt out of the way and began to wrap it tightly in a clean bandage. Teresa winced and let out a sharp gasp, but otherwise made no sound to let her pain show as the teacher finished the bandage with a neat bow. Teresa smiled thankfully to the teacher, who shrugged and stood up, moving to the door.

"I'll tell Virgil you'll be okay now. Are you four still coming round tonight?"

"Yes, May, we are. Virgil went to get David now. And thank you for letting us stay; it means a lot to all of us." Tommy said, smiling at the teacher who ruffled his messy hair fondly and quickly removed herself from the room. Tommy and James grinned at each other mischievously before suddenly appearing either side of an extremely surprised and confused Patrick.

"Well, guess we have to tell you all about this place now if the boss says so." James commented casually, earning himself an eye-roll and a sigh from Teresa.

"If I remember rightly," She interrupted them as she stood beside an empty wall while watching the three boys stood before her. "That particular job was left to me and Cho to do. Not. You. Two." With each of the three last words, she punched the wall in different places. On the last punch, a door appeared in the once empty wall. Cho pushed Patrick straight through the space in the wall into the pitch blackness behind it.

xxx

Patrick tried to look around himself to see where he was, but there was no light in the room whatsoever and he could feel the first tendrils of fear and dread start to overcome him. He'd never liked the dark, although he had never told anyone, but being in pitch darkness with obviously dangerous people was more than a little frightening.

Suddenly, a large light flickered on and Patrick had to blink several times till he could see properly. When he could finally see around him, surprised was a massive understatement. It was a large hall with white wall and floors.

At one end were mats and mirrors that could be used as a martial arts space or a dance studio. There was a kitchen against one wall with a cooker and a fridge and several coffee machines. Also there was what looked like a conference table with lots of odd chairs surrounding it and boxes of every type of fast food littered on the table along with several laptops and computers stashed in every possible space. In a corner were several beanbags and blankets piled up, and it was also where the rest of the teenagers were lounging about casually, watching Patrick carefully as he took in his surroundings.

"What is this place?" Patrick asked curiously, hearing his voice echoing in a tinny tone around the large airy hall. The teenagers grinned to each other as Teresa stepped up to stand beside him, though her movements were slow and laboured as she approached him carefully.

"Welcome to CBI High."

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): Oops, I guess it's impossible to keep angst out of my fics which is a shame as I don't mean to write it angsty at all. Oh well, please let me know what you think as I'm not quite sure about this chapter at all. Thank you to Superpicklechops, babi baker, and Lothlorien Aeterna for your amazing reviews, although this chapter is specially for Superpicklechops who makes me laugh a lot and always encourages me to keep writing no matter how bad I'm feeling.**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

"CBI High?" Patrick asked, watching the group of teens carefully for even a hint of deceit or trickery amongst them. However, they all appeared to be telling the truth about this particular subject. Teresa put her hand gently on his forearm and led him over to the others before sitting him down firmly on a beanbag and handing him a blanket to keep himself warm with. Patrick muttered his thanks as Teresa dropped herself onto another beanbag next to him and Cho threw a blanket at her playfully, to which she threw a beanbag back at him with a short yet uplifting laugh.

"I don't understand," Patrick suddenly blurted, causing the playing and messing about to stop suddenly and everyone to focus their attention on him. He squirmed internally at the intense attention of the teenagers around him. "What I mean is; what is CBI High? Why is it just us here?" Understanding washed over Teresa and Grace immediately and they glanced at each other before getting up on either side of Patrick and hauling him up between them.

"Come with us," Grace told him as she and Teresa set of to the door at a quick pace. Patrick had no choice but to follow.

Once they had gone, Tommy and James looked at each other worriedly. "She needs to rest," Tommy said in a small voice. James nodded his agreement. "She won't though," He said, Tommy nodding his agreement this time. "Let's just help her out a bit then," Wayne interrupted and all the boys nodded in unison. One of their own was hurt, and they would protect her to the end of the world.

xxx

Patrick followed the two girls down the maze of corridors until they reached the cafeteria. The girls peeked round the door before producing mirrors and ID badges from their jeans pocket. They expertly slid the mirrors across the floor, disabling the laser beam alarms. Patrick watched in astonishment. This was like something out of a spy film and it was more than a little confusing. The girls headed straight to a door at the far end of the room with Patrick only a couple of steps behind them.

They rapped on the door smartly, and a voice answered them almost immediately.

"Who is it?"

Teresa and Grace shared an amused glance before yelling together, the laughter still evident in their voices.

"CBI, Open up!"

The door opened and the stern looking cook Patrick had seen earlier strode out. She glared at the girls for a moment, and they put on innocent expressions as best as they could. The cook then spotted the bruised erupting on Teresa's face and neck and her face changed into a concerned expression.

"Oh my! Tess dear, what happened to you?"

"I'm fine." Teresa shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other as she shoved her badge back into her pocket and brushed her bangs out of her eyes impatiently. "We need you to get Patrick an ID badge, please Sylvia?"

Sylvia looked at Patrick appraisingly before turning back tot Teresa and nodding her head. "Sure, what division am I putting it as?"

"Special Case Unit." Grace chimed in and Sylvia nodded quickly and turned to Patrick.

"Well, you must be the new boy, so I can find your records easily enough. I'll have your ID by tomorrow lunchtime when you come to collect your food." She grinned at that point. "Would you lot like edible food tomorrow?"

"Think you can manage it?" Teresa asked mischievously, causing Sylvia to laugh loudly. "Course I can manage it, little rascal. Just because the rest of these kids need to be taken down a few pegs doesn't mean I want to give you six- seven now, I guess- food poisoning. You need something you can actually eat for a change. It's not like you get all that much at home anyway."

"Yay!" Grace said, turning back into the six year old on a sugar rush that she had been when Patrick had first met her. "I love you Sylvia!" She squealed, hugging Sylvia round the waist. Sylvia patted Grace on the head awkwardly as Teresa and Patrick tried to stifle laughs behind Grace's back. Sylvia looked at Patrick seriously.

"These people are broken individuals. However, you put them together and they help each other heal in more ways than one. Don't hurt them, or I will hurt you."

"Sylvia-" Teresa tried to interrupt, but Sylvia carried on as though she hadn't heard Teresa speak.

"Especially my little Tess." Teresa flushed bright red in embarrassment, keeping her eyes on the floor. "Tess will probably be the one who will save you. She gives and gives and never asks for anything in return. You hurt Tess and you will probably end up dead."

"Is that a threat?" Patrick asked immediately.

"Not from me," Sylvia specified as she finally managed to get Grace to behave age appropriately and stop hugging her. "However, her brothers, Wayne and Cho, they will probably kill you if you hurt their favourite person."

"I'm not their favourite person." Teresa felt she had to point out.

"Then why are they so much more protective over you?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. You're their favourite."

"There are no favourites Sylvia."

"Whatever you say sweetie. I'll have the ID done by tomorrow lunchtime. Come back then."

With that, Sylvia went back through the door and locked it behind her. As soon as she had gone, all three teens heard a noise that didn't come from the door. Teresa and Grace looked at each other and produced SIGs, though Patrick wasn't quite sure where they'd managed to conceal them as the two girls wore quite tight jeans and tops. They went either side of Patrick protectively and called out to the seemingly empty room.

"CBI! Show yourself!"

There was no answer and no telltale noises either.

"Show yourself!"

"Fresh meat, how sweet."

Teresa and Grace turned to the entrance to the cafeteria, immediately hiding their weapons as they saw who it was.

"Angela," Teresa said tiredly. Patrick looked to the new girl with interest. She was breathtakingly beautiful. She was tall and slender with blonde hair and wearing a small cheerleading outfit that showed more than it covered. She appeared to be the captain of the team as well. He was so taken with her beauty that he failed to notice the malicious glint in her eye or the hint of danger she exuded as she stepped forward. Teresa and Grace backed up from Angela instinctively as she walked in a predatory fashion into the room.

"You must be Patrick," Angela said in a low, sexy voice, causing Patrick to shiver and the two girls to roll their eyes.

"Yes I am. And you are Angela?" Patrick answered politely, bowing down slightly to kiss the top of Angela's hand, causing her to start giggling slightly. Grace put her arm around Teresa comfortingly. She had seen the way Teresa and Patrick had been acting around each other and her romantic heart would have said they were destined for each other. She also knew that Patrick was smart enough to see it too. He has Teresa's heart already, and Grace didn't know how much more crushing Teresa's heart could take. If Patrick hurt her, she might be broken beyond repair.

Patrick was immediately taken by Angela and any thoughts he might have had towards the pretty, dark haired girl behind him vanished as he focused solely on Angela. He wanted to make his father happy, and his father would much prefer it if he got Angela rather than Teresa. Angela was beautiful, and that was all that mattered.

Smiling and laughing at everything Angela was saying, he allowed himself to be led off and out of the room, glancing back once in time to see Teresa sink to the floor with Grace trying desperately to hold her up and failing miserably to keep her friend upright.

xxx

The next day, Patrick walked quickly into his first lesson, which was Science. The teacher pointed to the only empty seat in the room next to Teresa and he sat down. Teresa pointedly ignored him and Grace just glared at him and glanced worriedly at Teresa. Even the teacher seemed worried about the petite brunette and came over once they had started the work set for that lesson.

"Teresa, what is the answer to number 3; what's the chemical formula for nitric acid?" He asked gently.

"NO3." Teresa answered in a monotone voice, refusing to look up to the teacher.

"Teresa, what's wrong?" The teacher tried again, worried for Teresa.

"Nothing, Sir."

The teacher glanced at Grace, who just shrugged and shook her head. The teacher sighed, but decided to leave it alone for the time being.

xxx

Patrick had tried desperately to get Teresa to talk to him all morning, but to no avail. She wouldn't even look at him anymore. Frustrated, he went to grasp her arm, only to stop in shock as she visibly flinched away from him, cowering into herself before practically running away from him like a terrified prey near a predator.

"I hope you're pleased with yourself," Grace hissed into his ear. "It took years to get her to stop doing that and you managed to undo all of that in just one day. Must make you and your precious Angela very happy to see what you've done to her."

"What are you taking about Grace?" Patrick asked, feeling extremely confused.

"Don't tell me you don't know. Angela has hated Teresa from the first day she arrived, and finds it like a fun challenge to try to break her into a million little pieces. Thanks to you, Angela finally got her biggest wish. Teresa's broken now. Probably forever. So, you go and laugh it up with that bitch and leave us all alone."

Grace walked off, leaving Patrick to contemplate all she had said as he watched her retreating form in shock and horror at what he had done.

xxx

"Hey," Minelli said as he walked up to his office to find Teresa sat curled up against his door. "What are you doing here Tess?"

"I don't know," Came the muffled response from the small figure still hunched on the floor. "I really don't know Virgil. I don't think I can do this anymore."

"Do what Tess?" He asked, crouching down to where she was curled up; concern the only emotion on his face as he watched the top of Teresa's head shake as she desperately tried to keep in her tears.

"All of it. I can't do any of it anymore. I want out."

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N): Hey, I want to say a special thanks to Superpicklechops who is the one to convince me to write more (You all should read her fic, Back To School, mainly because it's awesome) and so, here is the next chapter of my fic…**

**It's not the longest one in the world, but I feel it had to stop here so I could make the next one better and longer. This unfortunately follows the rest of my story plot line things; Things have to get a lot worse before they get better. So, this gets worse. Sorry about that.**

**Reviews are like go-go gadget hands for me; they will totally make me write and update quicker :P**

**I do not own the mentalist, no matter how much I wish I did. Shame.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 4**

Minelli escorted Teresa into his office quickly and shut the door behind him with a sharp bang.

"Out?" He repeated in disbelief as he sat Teresa down swiftly and rounded his desk to sit in his slightly comfier armchair.

"Yes, out. I can't do this anymore. I am going to start leaving school at a normal time, picking up David and going straight home like I used to do before all of this started up. Instability isn't good for David and its better if I start to pick him up from school again. Also, I can't pretend everything is okay when I'm keeping more secrets than spy is in its entire lifetime."

"Isn't your father at home at that time of day? I thought that was about the time he got home from work."

"It is mostly, yes."

"You'll get yourself killed of you go back at that time, even if you take David there with you."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take." Her voice was cold, her expression hard, betraying no emotion whatsoever on her features as she stared straight back at Minelli's disbelieving and shocked face before her. But it was the eyes that really captured Minelli's attention. Her eyes hadn't looked that kind of dead in over a year now. She had finally begun living again and the look in her eyes had gradually vanished. Now the dead look was back in full force and it also looked like she had the same carelessness towards her own safety again as she had had when she had first arrived.

"I can't stop you," He said finally, sighing and rubbing his face tiredly as the searched Teresa's face for a sign that the fun-loving girl he knew was still in there somewhere but to no avail. "Your participation here is voluntary. I just wish you would reconsider it, please."

Teresa got up and placed a kiss on the man's cheek. "Thank you," She whispered in his ear, "For everything. You'll have more soon, I hope."

She walked out of the room without looking back. Tears fell down Minelli's cheeks as he watched her go. It was like losing his own daughter as he watched the young woman walk out without looking back.

…

Grace walked into the principal's office cautiously after being called down out of her lesson. She had no idea why she was supposed to be here at all but she ahd to be there anywhere. "Sir?" She asked hesitantly as she poked her head into the room. Minelli looked up from his place at his desk and it was obvious he had been crying about something.

"Sit," He croaked and Grace immediately sat in the seat opposite him, facing him and his desk. "Teresa's left." He told her bluntly, trying to keep a lid on his tears again as he saw Grace also fight with tears. Grace gasped in horror.

"No! No way sir! Please tell me you tried to stop her!"

"Of course I did, but you know what Teresa is like when she sets her mind on something. There was no way I could stop her once her mind was made up."

"Can I tell the others myself? They might take it better if I tell them rather than you, sir."

"If you want to, Grace, then you can. Do you know why she would do something like this now? Or maybe why she looks dead inside again? Only, I really don't know and it worries me no end to see her like that."

"She… Um… let herself trust someone who broke her instead. I think she's just plain broken now sir." Silent tears coursed down her face as she told him all she knew

"Right, I think I understand," Minelli said croakily and gestured to the door. "Thank you Grace, you can go now. I'm truly sorry for what happened."

…

It was dark out and the only lights at all in the high school were the large one in the gym and the security lights on outside the building. Teresa turned to look at the large building wistfully. She wished she could go back in there and be normal once more but she didn't have another choice anymore. She had to do something before it was all too late and this was the only way she could do it.

The wind blew in her face and she winced as it blew against her bruises and the new gash across her left cheek. That was what she got for being home on time for a change with David in tow. She had managed to get David out of the way in time though and Tommy and James should still be in the building she was currently staring at so they wouldn't get hurt either by the man that was supposed to love them all.

She sighed and turned resolutely away from the building. She knew it was stupid to go back to the way her life was before, but she was used to being the sole guardian of the three boys, even if it wasn't official. She wouldn't have a life and she knew it. She also knew that her father would most likely kill her and she couldn't bring herself to care. She just wanted her brothers to be well looked after, especially if something were to happen to here.

She jumped silently into the house across the street from the school and wandered up a flight of stairs until she got to her family lawyer's office. It was placed in a non-descript house so that the lawyer would only get the customers he wanted to know about him and the things he did for clients. The lawyer opened the large wooden door on the second knock and gasped in horror and recognition of the bruised, cut and swollen teenager before him.

"Get inside Tess," Tomas said firmly as he ushered her in quickly. Teresa sat down in an armchair next to his desk. "How can I help you Tess?" He asked worriedly as he sat opposite her. Tomas was a man in his early twenties, heavily built with dark hair and eyes. He worried after Teresa and her family a lot and would do anything to help any of the children out, even if it was less than legal.

"I want to know if something happened to me, would my brothers be taken away from my father?"

"Maybe, Tess, but why do you want to know? It isn't something that can be decided straight away."

"Would they be adopted if something happened to me and I had proof he was abusive to us all, especially me?" She asked in a low voice, proof enough that she was ashamed of what she had to say to get him to answer her in a suitable fashion.

Tomas' eyes widened in shock and he had to swallow heavily a few times before he could speak again without choking on nothing but air. "Yes, I am fairly certain they would be if that were to happen. Why, do you have proof that he is abusive, Teresa?"

Teresa handed him a compatible disk from her jacket pocket and nodded at it as he held it in his hands looking rather confused. "That should be all the proof you need. And I want my brothers adopted by Virgil Minelli please; he's a good man who'll take care of them," She told him before unexpectedly slipping out of her chair and falling to the ground, unconscious and unresponsive.

**TBC…?**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N): Hey, thank you so much for all the review! It is truly appreciated, and I came and wrote this as soon as I could. I have a war going on at the moment. I really want fluff, but my brain chooses angst and then proceeds to type it out before I can stop it. I swear, these chapters write themselves.**

**Special thanks to Superpicklechops, who manages to make me laugh a lot and makes me understand more than I would before. So, this chapter is mostly for you as you deserve it for making me laugh and encouraging me a lot.**

**Warnings of the violent kind and maybe language, but it depends what you consider bad, I guess. Not much language, but quite a bit of violence. Also, I don't think this chapter makes my fic any happier, if I'm honest.**

**Anyway, I'll let you read it now and please let me know what you think. Reviews are always gratefully received.**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 5**

Minelli was just about to go home for the night when the office phone rang in a shrill, persistent tone. He picked it up wearily with a short, "Minelli," and a sigh as a form of greeting for whoever was on the other end of the line. He didn't really care much at the moment, though that changed as soon as the person on the other end began to speak. The voice spoke hurriedly and Minelli's face drained of what little colour he had left as the voice finished its little speech.

"I'll be right there with the others," He rushed, almost garbled, into the phone before hanging up abruptly. Words from the hurried conversation drifted through his mind as he ran through the deserted corridors looking for her brothers.

_Abused physically by her father…_

_Got proof of what he did to her…_

_It's sick, truly sick…_

_She wanted you to adopt the boys…_

_Hospital right now…_

_ICU…_

_Hurry, please…_

…

Minelli skidded into the gym in time to see the 'Special Case Unit' coming out of the hidden door set into the wall of the gym. They all looked tired, but okay as far as emotions went. They spotted him immediately and both Lisbon brothers rushed up to Minelli at once, speaking in desperate unison.

"What's wrong? Is it Reese? Don't tell us she got herself killed, please!"

Minelli held up a hand tiredly and the boys fell silent instantly.

"She's… Well, she's alive," He managed to choke out. "She's in ICU. The doctor's aren't sure if she's gonna make it or not." The boys looked like they were either going to smash something or break down on the spot, so he hurriedly continued with his words. "She went to your lawyer and told him she wanted you boys to be adopted by me and she had proof your father was abusive to her. She gave the disk to him before falling unconscious. We need to get to the hospital now."

Grace suddenly piped up, crossing her arms over her chest firmly. "We're coming too. Our parents won't care if we don't show up for weeks on end, so I doubt one night will make much difference. We're coming too."

Minelli looked like he was going to protest, but decided better of it. There might not be much time, and time wasted arguing was not going to help them at all. Plus, Minelli knew that Teresa would want her friends there for her, even if she would never admit to it.

So, instead he nodded and the man plus teenagers rushed out of the room and headed straight for the pickup truck that would hold most of them in the bed of it. The two boys sat in the cab with Minelli while Grace, Wayne, Cho and Patrick sat in the bed of it. Not a word was spoken between any of them, though Patrick knew Grace was dying to snap at him and yell until she was hoarse. And Patrick also knew he would deserve every word of it. He had spoken to Angela earlier, and didn't quite know what to make of that encounter.

…

_Flashback_

"_Ang? Can we talk?" Patrick asked as he headed for where she stood at her locker. She pulled her head out of it and nodded._

"_Fine, but you'll have to hurry. I'm late enough for cheerleading practise as it is."_

_Patrick nodded as well. "Okay, then I will get straight to the point. Why did you hurt Teresa?"_

"_Teresa?" Angela looked confused for a moment before her expression cleared and was replaced by a positively gleeful expression. "Oh, you mean Lisbon, I guess. I've hated her for years, she hated me too, and neither of us bothered that much about it, if I'm honest. Then her mum died," Here she smiled like a kid at Christmas, and Patrick had to fight the urge to throw up or hit the grinning girl before him. "And Lisbon would mope about all day without doing any work and got away with it as well. Teachers called it showing compassion or something. I didn't get it really. _

"_Then she started coming in with bruises and cuts and looked dead to the world. All I did was made a comment about one of her brothers and she launched herself at me. She broke a nail, Patrick! She broke my nail!" Here Patrick felt confused and slightly sickened at it all. "So, naturally, I had to break her to get even. Thank you for that, by the way."_

_She then walked away smugly, leaving Patrick feeling horrified and nauseous._

_End flashback_

…

The truck pulled into the hospital parking lot and the one man and six teenagers piled out together and headed through the swift automatic doors of the emergency entrance to the hospital. A tall, bulky man with straight dark hair and a horrified expression was waiting for them. Tommy and James greeted him immediately.

"Tomas!" The both called out, causing him to look over at the swarm of teens making their way towards him with an ageing man behind them. He managed a watery smile at the two Lisbon boys before shaking Minelli's hand gratefully.

"I'm glad you came," He told Minelli sincerely as they walked though clean and bright corridors towards the ICU section of the hospital. "She was talking to me clearly, and all of a sudden, she just collapsed onto the floor. She was unresponsive and I had to perform CPR until the ambulance arrived. The doctors say she's suffered massive internal injuries, and not all of them started tonight. Some of them have been caused months ago."

"So, she knew she could die months ago?" Minelli asked in horror and Tomas shrugged, though he was still as tense as they reached the ICU and stepped inside.

"She could have done. She definitely knew tonight, I can tell you that much. Have you seen any proof of what had happened before?" He asked, turning a pale green in colouring. Minelli shook his head. "It's truly horrifying. I can't believe how much she must have gone through all that time and no-one knew about it."

They had just reached the window and Tomas gestured for the seven visitors to look in. They all did and were shocked and horror-stricken by what they saw. Teresa was lay in the large white bed with several machines surrounding her, but it didn't look like Teresa. There wasn't one inch of her that they could see that resembled her skin tone. She was completely blue and purple from all the bruises. One eye was swelled shut and she had a long angry looking gash down her face and across her cheek. She basically looked like she had been run over and then put into a meat grinder.

All of them looked away, feeling sick to the stomach knowing that her own father did this to his little girl. No-one should ever do that to their child. Tomas nodded understandingly, and lead them to another room that had a television and DVD player inside. He looked regretfully at everyone in the room.

"I'm sorry you have to see this. It's not pretty, believe me."

Then he pressed play.

…

The video started quite peacefully. It showed Mark Lisbon getting in from work and flopping down on the couch, drinking the first amount of alcohol that came to hand. It was like that for around five minutes until Teresa walked through the door holding David's hand. David was only around ten years old and was quite a cheerful child. The change in the father was immediate once the two children had arrived. He got up from the couch, swaying slightly on his feet and threw the empty bottle at Teresa's head, who ducked instinctively and it smashed against the wall, shards falling everywhere.

Then it was obvious Mark was really angry right then. He started thundering straight for Teresa, who seemed to expect it and practically threw David out of the way and up the stairs where he would be safer from his father. He threw his teenage daughter against the same wall the bottle had smashed against and was beating her consistently with him yelling at her all the time, calling her Ella and a whore, a bitch, and any other names he could think of at the time, accusing her of everything under the sun. He kicked at her ribs harshly and they all heard a sickening crack as he broke at least one of them with his steel-capped boot. Teresa's face contorted in utter pain, but she stayed silent. He continued to hit every inch of her with as much force as possible until he finally let go of his grip on her and passed out onto the floor. Teresa slid to the floor in obvious agony, curled up into a tight little ball against the wall, trying to protect her broken ribs and the rest of her body from more harm.

David walked into the room at that moment and immediately tried his best to help his sister up, who managed it shakily on the fifth attempt. They both ignored the unconscious man on the floor beside them. She told him to go and hide underneath her bed after locking the door behind him, and not to come out unless on of his brothers came to get him or she did. It was obvious she didn't hold any hope in her finding him again, but also knew her brothers would most likely find him and keep him safe.

Then she came up close to the camera and switched it off in complete silence.

…

Everyone stood or sat around the room in a tense silence. Tommy and James looked tired and withdrawn. They were used to their father's outbursts, but to know Reese had been taking it when they had thought he was getting better was a lot to handle, especially after seeing it on a screen. She was right though, it was undeniable proof he was violent towards them, and that Reese was the one who was there to protect them all. Without her there to save them, they would start being beaten badly again. They had to find David and get him out of the house before it was too late for him.

They stood up and glanced to Minelli, who nodded at them, though he looked pretty shaken himself. They walked swiftly out of the room together. Minelli was shocked at just how much the not-so-little girl he considered his daughter had gone through just to get the law to be able to do something about it. If she died- no, he decided, he couldn't think about that, he just had to attempt to stay hopeful about the outcome.

Grace, Wayne and Cho all looked horrified, though Cho didn't really show it much. Grace looked like she was going to puke, and Wayne looked like he was halfway between falling over in horror and compassion and starting up a bloodlust. Instead, they all sat staring at a now blank screen in the hope it held all the answers, even though they knew it didn't.

Patrick had snuck out silently as soon as the video had stopped, feeling extremely nauseous and guilty. Now he sat by Teresa's bedside, holding one tiny, cold hand in both of his own, although he wasn't even supposed to be in her room. He looked down at the still body of the petite teenage girl and whispered desperately to her, never releasing his grasp on her hand, which was covered in tubes, wires and tape that were all there to keep her alive.

"Fight, Teresa. You need to fight. Please, fight for your brothers, fight for your friends, fight… for me."

**TBC…?**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N): This chapter is slightly more hopeful. The italics are what is going on inside Teresa's mind, essentially. That is almost the complete chapter by the way. Please let me know what you think as it is much appreciated. This chapter is for Lothlorien Aeterna, who has been extremely supportive on all of my fics and I want to say a special thank you to her.**

**No warnings in this chapter, I think.**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 6**

_There was a sunny, grassy meadow all around her, as far as the eye could see. She seemed to be hovering above it for some reason she didn't quite understand. She took a quick glance to her back and gasped in surprise and shock. She was hovering in the air because she had wings attached to her slender back. _

_Angel wings. _

_She was so busy wondering over that bit of information that she didn't see a woman in her late thirties with long brunette hair and clear green eyes brimming with unshed tears hovering in front of her._

"_Tess," The woman whispered and Teresa jumped comically in mid-air and turned to the owner of the voice instantly._

"_Mum."_

"_Yes dear," Talia Lisbon whispered gently, stroking her daughter's cheek lovingly, a couple of tears overflowing and rolling down her pale face at the sight of her baby girl all grown up and hovering in front of her. "Why did you do that, my baby girl?"_

"_For the boys. They need a childhood, with people who care about them and won't hurt them at all. I'm leaving them in good hands, I know."_

"_I meant," Talia Lisbon clarified gently for Teresa, "Why did you get yourself hurt like that? You didn't need to get hurt that much."_

_Teresa swallowed uneasily. "It wouldn't have made a difference mum. I was dying anyway. That one that was filmed just sped it up. You don't understand."_

"_Try me."_

"_Okay. He… hurt us. Hurt us all badly. Me more than the boys."_

"_I know that, baby."_

"_He was fine until you died. A proper dad until after the funeral. Then he began drinking more and more, and with every drink came the increased urge to hurt us, especially me. I hated being the spitting image of you all the time. Not only was I constantly reminded of what I had lost as my mother looked back at me in the mirror, my father was reminded of the image of what he had and lost too. He hated my image as well but wouldn't let me change it to look less like you. Around six months ago he drank himself unconscious and I took him to hospital. He might be a monster but he's still my dad. I still love him, you know. I cant help it."_

_Talia encased her daughter in a carful hug, tears falling freely from her face. She loved her husband, but she loved her children more. They were safer without their father around, and that was all that mattered to her. She knew Teresa saw herself as a mum to the boys as well, and was truly sorry for that. Teresa deserved a real childhood, not one that was cut unjustly short._

"_I know it all darling," She whispered into her daughter's ear. "I'm not the one you need to tell this to. You have to go back sweetie."_

"_What? I thought I was dead already."_

"_No sweetie, you are on the borderline of life and death. It is your choice darling, whether you live or die. I want you to live Tess. I want you to grow up and have children of your own with a husband who loves you and your children more than anything else in the world."_

"_If I go back then I have to go back to dad. I can't do that."_

"_I wouldn't ask you to do that my beautiful baby girl. I loved your father, and I will never stop loving him. But, Teresa, I love you and your brothers more. Your safety is my first priority. Always has been and always will be. As much as I hate to say it, you are better off without your father. You need to go back Teresa."_

"_But I'll lose you again mum. I don't want to."_

"_You'll deal with it baby. You've already done it once. Your brothers need their mother."_

"_But you're dead mum."_

"_Oh, sweetie," Talia said sadly, playing with a lock of Teresa's hair fondly. "I'm not their mum anymore. You are."_

"_No, no mum-" Teresa began to protest immediately but Talia shushed her gently._

"_It's true Tess. Now you need to go back for your brothers, for me, and for Patrick."_

"_What?" Now Teresa just looked baffled and slightly hurt. Talia sighed in fond exasperation for her only daughter._

"_The boy is in love with you." Teresa shook her head stubbornly._

"_No he doesn't. He loves Angela. I was just a distraction for him. Nothing more."_

"_No, you weren't baby. Did you know that since you were admitted to the hospital, Patrick hasn't left your side once?"_

"_What?"_

"_It's true baby."_

"_I don't… I don't believe it."_

"_Look, Tess, you and Patrick are both injured people. Broken people. However, whenever you two are together, you seem to fix each other."_

"_When people have the power to either save each other or destroy each other," Teresa supplied in a small voice. Talia nodded firmly._

"_You have destroyed each other," She told her daughter with a wistful smile. "You were destroyed when Patrick left you, and he is destroyed with the thought that you could so easily die and he couldn't tell you how he really feels. Now you just need to save each other. You need to go back and have that chance baby. Go back please. I love you, and I always will, no matter what you decide."_

"_You want me to go back?" Teresa checked uncertainly. Talia nodded sadly. Teresa gave her a short yet powerful hug. "Then I will go back for you. I love you too mum. Forever and always."_

"_Goodbye my baby."_

In the darkened hospital room, two weeks since she had first been admitted, Teresa Lisbon opened her eyes.

**TBC…?**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N): I am really sorry about the lack of updates on this fic. I confess that I got really stuck on how she would wake up in the hospital room and who would be there and everything. In the end I just thought what the hell, I'll write whatever comes to mind. Then I checked and dragged it out a bit. That's the main reason that this could be absolute rubbish. This chapter is mainly just Teresa, with a healthy dose of the father daughter relationship Lisbon and Minelli share. I hope you all like it, and I'd love to know you thoughts on it.**

**I do not own the mentalist.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 7**

The lights were far too bright for her to cope with and she closed her eyes once more, squeezing them together tightly to try and dispose of the black spots that blinded her vision. She opened her eyes once more slowly and turned her head slightly to the right, finding Virgil Minelli curled into an uncomfortable hospital visitors' chair, holding her hand the whole time even though it had an IV and a cable for the heart monitor next to her bed attached to it. He appeared to be lightly asleep for the time being. She then proceeded to look carefully around the room she'd occupied for two weeks.

All three of her brothers were there and she almost smiled in relief that someone had gotten David out before it was too late for him to even survive. If their dad would have found David in the rage of not having his favourite punching bag in the form of her, David would have immediately become the next punching bag. He was currently curled up at the end of her bed, lying on her calves and feet but she didn't care if it caused her any discomfort as long as he was safe and well. Tommy and James were sat together against the wall nearest the lone window and Minelli, both asleep though not deeply if the movements and twitches were anything to go by. Then she saw Grace and Wayne on another chair, both fast asleep with Grace sat comfortably in Wayne's lap and his arms safely around her.

Kimball was sat on the floor near the door with a book in his hand, though he had obviously gone to sleep whilst reading it. She tilted her head slightly to look at the worn title of it. Wuthering Heights. Absentmindedly, she wondered if it was a good book. She had always meant to read it, but her mother had told her to wait till she was in high school first, and she had agreed to it. By the time she had actually reached high school, she had been too busy with her new responsibilities to have the time to read books, even if it was supposedly a classic.

Tomas was sat in the corner of the room on a waiting room chair he had obviously dragged in to wait in for her to wake up but had fallen asleep covered in sheets of very official looking papers. She just hoped that meant her brothers could be adopted by Virgil, even if she had to go back to her father or in to care. She wasn't sure which one sounded worse to her ears. She tried to shift her weight slightly, but every little movement felt like someone was trying to punch her again. Her father was definitely the worse scenario, she decided, even if care meant she couldn't see her brothers.

Patrick was sat directly on her left side, holding her hand just as Virgil was, but he had his head down on the side of her bed, also sleeping fitfully just like her two eldest brothers were. If her mother was right with what she had said, he hadn't left her side once. She sighed silently to herself. She knew herself well enough that her trust, once lost, was very difficult to achieve once more. It was even worse when she knew that she loved him. It made the betrayal worse about ten-fold. However, she would try and meet him halfway, assuming he wanted to try and didn't want to go off with that grinning bitch Angela again. It wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to try if he was.

At that moment, a nurse let herself in very quietly to avoid waking any of the visitors. This was only the third time they'd slept for more than an hour at a time for two weeks and all the hospital staff intended to let them sleep for as long as possible. She tiptoed carefully over to the only bed in the room and began checking all of the machines carefully. She spared a quick glance to the patient, and nearly jumped to the ceiling. The patient was watching her back with bright green eyes, though they did look sort of dead inside. Teresa swallowed to try to moisten her mouth.

"Hey," She rasped out in a whisper to the nurse, who seemed to be in shock. "I would have told you I was awake earlier, but I didn't want to wake this lot up. I'm guessing they haven't really slept a lot since I was in here. Are they my 'welcome back to the land of the living' committee?"

The nurse seemed to recover enough to smile at the badly beaten teenage girl sat watching her with a slight smile on her bruised and swollen face. "How are you feeling?"

"Hmm," Teresa murmured, thinking it out carefully. "Like I've been run over a couple of times before being thrown off the top of a building. Apart from all that, not bad."

"You do know you were badly beaten right?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Some of your injuries are older, dating from a couple of months ago. They could have killed you, and actually were doing, just really slowly."

"I know."

The nurse frowned. "You knew? How?"

"I have a friend who is a doctor. They told me I was dying. I just wanted to sort everything out for my brothers before I did."

"So you were willing to die?"

"Still am if it means my brothers are safe."

"Does anything hurt?"

Teresa raised an eyebrow at the clearly flustered nurse. "Um, yeah, I was almost beaten to death you know."

"Of course, would you like me to wake any of these people up for you?"

"Yeah, can you wake Minelli up for me? I want to talk to him first," Teresa nodded slightly to Minelli and the nurse nodded, walking silently over to Virgil and shaking him gently. He woke instantly from his light slumber.

"What's up nurse? Has something happened?" He murmured as low as he could, mindful for the other visitors in the room. The nurse smiled slightly.

"See for yourself." She told him, nodding to the bed. Virgil looked up warily, which soon turned to amazement and joy at the sight of an awake and alert Teresa sat up in the bed, watching him with a smile. "Just be quiet, we don't want to wake the rest of them just yet," She told the pair as she left the room quietly, giving the two awake people some privacy.

"Tess," Virgil whispered, tears of happiness in his eyes as he looked at the bruised and swollen faced teenager smiling back at him. Well, as much as you can smile with all the facial injuries she received. "How you feeling?"

"Like crap."

"Language Teresa," He whispered, trying to be stern, but she only laughed silently at him and his half-hearted attempt at telling her off. "I thought I had lost you."

She turned serious immediately. "I didn't- I only wanted the boys to be safe. I'm sorry I worried you like that."

"It's okay Tess," He told her, squeezing her hand lightly. "It will all be okay now, I promise."

"You can't promise that. I know how the legal system works."

"Then you should know that I'm now the legal guardians of your brothers."

Teresa smiled gratefully at the man sat beside her bed. "Thank you Virgil. I am grateful for that. I will have to go back to my father though yes?"

Virgil looked away and Teresa nodded slowly. "I thought as much. Don't worry Minelli, it's not your fault. I knew it before I woke up."

"We're fighting it Tess," He told her, turning back to her and holding her hand even more tightly. "We're trying to get you to be adopted by me just until after the trial when you can technically live on your own. It's tricky though."

"You're trying for me Virgil. That's enough in my book. Thank you."

"Anytime kiddo, anytime. You know that."

"Yeah, I know."

**TBC…?**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N): Hey, here's the next chapter. It is slightly shorter than most of the other chapters, but it is finally Jisbon, and fluff, just as i probably promised at some point. However, and this is just a warning, there is an angsty ending. I don't want you being mistaken that this is all hearts and flowers as its really not.**

**Oh and this is probably completely OOC and ridiculous, but i like it.**

**I do not own the mentalist and i would really appreciate a review.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 8**

Teresa and Virgil talked for a short while, but Virgil soon had to get up to use the bathroom. With a short apology to the bruised, swollen, and crestfallen girl sat up in the bed watching his every move, Virgil left the room silently with a heavy heart that he couldn't do more to help the girl he considered a daughter. As soon as he had disappeared from the room and shut the door behind him with a click of the lock, she shook her right hand gently,the one that was in Patrick's larger one. Patrick shot up immediately whilst looking round frantically, before blinking at the teenage girl watching him carefully.

"Teresa?"

"Yes?"

"Is that really you?"

"No, it's the milkman who decided to surprise you for Halloween. What do you think?"

"Teresa!" Patrick was overjoyed, but Teresa's expression remained the same; nothing. She might want to meet him halfway, but she needed to know everything first, or her heart wouldn't allow herself the happiness she desired and it was something she desperately wanted from life.

"I need to know, Patrick."

"What? What do you need to know ,my dear?"

"Everything."

Patrick shook his head, utterly confused. "I don't understand what you mean, Teresa."

Teresa pulled her hand out of his larger warm one and crossed it over her chest, linking it with the other one and ignoring the pain it evoked in her ribs. "Fine. Goodbye Patrick."

"What?" Teresa please-"

"I don't care what you have to say Patrick," She cut him off abruptly, though her voice was wavering and she looked like she was about to cry. "I trusted you Patrick. I trusted you so much. My mind told me not to, but I trusted you anyway. I guess my mind was right after all.

"I didn't do any of this for you. I did it all for my brothers. You were just the person to make me oblivious to my own health once more, and gave me the push to get the proof to allow my brothers a way out."

"And you Teresa, it got you out as well."

Teresa shook her head bitterly. "No it didn't. I have to go back. I have no idea why, but I do. I'll either never see my brothers again or die within the week. I'm not sure which one I'd prefer right now."

"You need to live Teresa," Patrick almost begged her, eyes filling up as he understood that she was still reckless about her own welfare. Teresa shook her head stubbornly.

"No I don't. My purpose was fulfilled. My brothers will have a good life, and that's all I've ever wanted. If my life is sacrificed for that, then so be it. I'm not scared of death."

"No, you're not." Teresa looked at him surprised, but he continued bitterly. "You knew you were dying, probably knew for months. You had the time to come to terms with your death, and this latest one just sped things up, didn't they?"

Teresa nodded, eyes welling up with tears. "I wasn't fighting it Patrick. I was ready to die. Then you showed up, and changed all of that. I suddenly found the strength to try and fight it all, to try and get us all out in one piece, for you. Then you went with Angela, and I saw it all. You like pretty things, and I'll never be one of those things. I'm a tomboy who grew up too soon and has no time for make-up and other so-called girly things because I'm too busy being a mother to three boys. I'll never be the right one." He voice sounded defeated, broken, and Patrick hated it. He had to prove her wrong, quickly. So he did the only thing he could think of. He kissed her.

Her eyes widened in shock before slipping shut as she felt his warm soft full lips on hers, moving slowly and tenderly across her lips. She sighed in bliss, and Patrick withdrew slightly, eyes still shut as he spoke, whispering only for her ears.

"I love you Teresa. For now, and forever. Forever and a day, if such a thing exists. I will never leave you again, I promise."

Teresa looked into his eyes, a lone tear trailing down her face. "You won't keep that promise Patrick. The next pretty thing will catch your eye and you'll be gone again, leaving me alone. I can't take something like that a second time."

"Then you won't. I won't break that promise Teresa," He told her while fishing around in his pocket for something, finally finding it and holding it out for her to see. Her eyes widened in shock at the object in his fingers. "I love you Teresa, and this is a symbol to prove I will never leave you again. It would break me too. I love you so much Teresa Lisbon, will you marry me?"

Teresa glanced at the antique and beautiful ring being held carefully in his hand then at his serious face. It was open, honest, and Teresa knew there was only one answer she could give, only one answer she really wanted to give, quite frankly.

"Yes, I will, I will. I love you too Patrick Jane!"

There were tears in both of their eyes as their lips met a second time tenderly. They were interrupted before it could get out of hand by a discreet cough from the bottom of the room. They both looked up blushing to see Virgil stood at the end of the bed, watching them intently but with a smile on his face as he saw the two before him embarrassed at being caught being so sweet with each other.

"I'm really happy for you both," He told them, wiping at his eyes. "You'll make it work, I know you will. But um, you may want to put the wedding plans on hold, at least for now." The couple looked at him, utterly confused and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He hated being the bearer of bad news, especially when it was regarding the petite girl he considered his own daughter. "Tess, your dad committed suicide this morning. He hung himself and left a note. He's dead now."

**TBC Definitely, I think. Maybe, I dunno.**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N): Hey, I'm sorry I forgot this fic, so I'll just post this now and duck as you all throw things…**

**I do not own the mentalsit.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 9**

Teresa looked at Virgil in pure shock, even as Tommy and James began to stir in their sleep in their positions in the corner of the small and stuffy room. They always awoke at the same time, no matter how many similarities and differences they might have in their personalities and mannerisms. Teresa usually found it cute how they did things like that, but right now she was mentally willing them back to sleep so they didn't have to find out anytime soon about the massive upheaval she had just gone into.

"Are you sure?" She whispered in a low strained voice. Virgil nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, I went to the morgue to identify him because you couldn't move right now. It's definitely him Tess. Here, I managed to get the note he left for you to read after arguing for an hour with a doctor, the morgue assistant and three nurses who thought it'd throw back your progress so that you could at least know the reasons why. I thought you deserved that much." He handed the note to Teresa, who began to read it immediately, ignoring everyone else in the room as her gaze focused solely on the page before her.

_Dear Teresa, Tommy, James, and David,_

_I loved your mother so much, you know. It killed me inside to lose her. I haven't been the best father, and I took it all out on you, especially Teresa. You didn't deserve it, especially as Teresa looks so much like my wife. It hurts so much, and to know that my own daughter willingly went a step from death to get her brothers away from me says everything I need to know. I hope my final actions give you all a better life. I don't expect you to forgive me, as I know all of what I have done is unforgivable. I'll be dead by the time any of you read this._

_Your father, Mark Lisbon._

Teresa's knuckles were white from the force she was exerting in attempting not to crush the letter into a tiny scrunched up ball. Patrick put his hand on his fiancée's wrist and she relaxed her grip on it enough for him to take it from her and hand it back to Minelli.

"When can I get out of here?" Teresa asked in a tight, controlled voice. Minelli looked worried, but Patrick didn't. He understood that she needed this small amount of control and lack of emotions to cope with the major upheaval her father's death had caused. He gripped her hand comfortingly and she looked at him quizzically.

"No yet, love," He told her seriously before changing to a teasing tone. "I don't want you seeing the ring I'm going to go and look for until I put it on your finger, after all."

Teresa managed a small smile back. "Yeah, god forbid I ruin your plans for the ring."

Patrick grinned. "Exactly."

She turned back to Minelli with a sheepish expression. "Can I come back to school as soon as I get out of here?"

"Are you sure you don't want to rest some more?" Minelli asked worriedly.

"No, I want to go back to school as soon as possible."

"Then sure you can honey. I'd never deny you anything, you know that. Now then Patrick, about her ring…"

**A Week Later**

Teresa gazed up at the stone building before her with slight trepidation. She had been released from the hospital only the day before. She grinned to herself. She and Patrick were all the talk of the hospital whilst she was there. She was happy to be out of there, that was for certain. The tasteful gold ring on her finger finally gave her the courage she needed to step through the double doors and into the deserted corridors once more.

…

Patrick was overjoyed to see her at school, and gave her a massive bear hug as soon as he saw her. She had winced slightly, but grinned back nonetheless. They walked down the corridor hand in hand when they were stopped by a clearly unhappy and jealous Angela.

"Paddy, what are you doing with her?"

Patrick's face hardened as he felt Teresa stiffen beside him. He put his arm round her waist and kissed her hair lightly.

"I'm walking down the corridor with my fiancée, what does it look like?"

Teresa grinned as it looked like Angela began to choke on her words at Patrick's announcement.

"Fiancée?"

Teresa held up her left hand so that Angela could see the shining golden band glistening there. Angela stepped forwards, her fists tightening. Teresa did the same.

"You wanna fight? Bring it on then!"

Patrick inserted himself between the two girls and pulled Teresa out of the way. "You can't fight for a while, and you know it honey. You don't want to go back to the hospital, and I've had enough of them to last a lifetime. Let's just go and leave her be, okay? Let's go find Minelli and tell him you're here."

Teresa nodded and walked with him as he pulled her gently from her defensive position and down the corridor. Angela glared after the couple angrily. Patrick was _hers_. And she'd have him all to herself even if Teresa had to disappear for that to happen. Angela grinned to herself. Oh yes, she'd make Patrick want her, not that stupid tomboy Teresa, if it was the last thing she did.

**TBC…? Let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N): Hey, this is once again angsty I am very much afraid. It was the only thing my fried brain could come up with, unfortunately. Not got much to say, but would love a review.**

**I do not own the mentalist, no matter how much I wish otherwise.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 10**

"Teresa?! What are you doing here? I thought you were at home honey! You really should be resting. You've been out of hospital for a week. That isn't very long. You should really be at home now."

Teresa grimaced slightly. "I was climbing the walls and I wanted to be back. And, if I'm totally honest, I don't really know what the word home means anymore."

Patrick opened his mouth to produce a wise-ass comment, but a pointed glare from Minelli stopped him in his tracks. Minelli pulled the petite teenage girl in for a gentle hug.

"Oh honey, home is where your heart is. Tell me Tess, where's your heart right now?"

Teresa glanced back to Patrick, looking slightly uncomfortable. "He holds it in his hands."

Patrick began to look uncomfortable and shifted from foot to foot. Minelli pulled Teresa in for another hug whilst glaring at the boy also in his office. He could tell the young man was now unsure of his idea to propose to his daughter (Now his daughter, anyway), and wasn't sure how to react to her confession. Minelli had no sympathy whatsoever for him, however. It had been his idea to propose to Teresa, so he would die if he broke the young woman's heart again.

Patrick shook his head slightly and walked briskly out of the office.

…

"Hey Paddy."

Patrick looked up to see a grinning Angela approaching him and he inwardly groaned. Just what he needed to make his day worse. However, he forced himself to at least act civil towards the smug blonde in the small clothing.

"Hey Angela. What do you want?"

Angela pouted. "What makes you think I want something, Paddy?"

"Because you're you and you're here. Now, what do you want?"

Angela batted her eyelids as she leant beside him on the wall. "You tell me, Paddy. You're good at reading people."

Patrick sighed and looked away resolutely. "No Angela, not that."

He didn't have to look at her to know she was scowling at the back of his head. "But why Paddy?" She whined. He also suspected she was fighting against the urge to stomp her foot like a spoilt toddler.

"I am faithful, Angela, and I won't hurt Teresa like that ever again."

Angela put her hand on his arm firmly and span him round to face her. She pushed him slightly back until his back was against the wall and she was well into his personal space. Patrick was uncomfortable, but held his ground stubbornly.

"Why though Paddy? It's not like she's anything special."

"She is to me Angela, she is to me."

"Then why are you out here?" Angela pointed out as she placed both her hands on either of his arms. "If you were really faithful, you wouldn't be out here and still with me. You would have run back to her like a puppy dog. But you didn't, you haven't."

"Angela, back off."

"But why? I like you, and you like me."

"No I don't."

"Now then Paddy, who are you trying to convince here? Me, or you?" Angela grinned and leant in, linking their lips together. She mentally did a victory dance as he didn't fight her off straight away. Angela 1, Teresa nil. She was well on the way to winning.

…

Teresa looked at the pair in the corner and swallowed. Why did her heart just ask to be crushed? Steeling herself, she turned on her heel and walked off, pulling the golden ring off her finger as she did.

…

Patrick pushed Angela off him, wiping at his lips angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"

Angela looked offended. "But I thought-"

"No," Patrick cut her off harshly. "Stay away from me, and Teresa, from now on. We want nothing more to do with you. Now move so I can go and find my fiancée."

Angela looked smug. "Good luck with that one."

Patrick narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you know?"

Angela grinned like the Cheshire cat. "It must be so hard to trust someone who already broke your heart once, so much so that you went and almost got yourself killed. I wonder what would happen if they broke your heart a second time?"

Patrick looked confused, then horrified as realisation dawned on him. "Oh no."

"Oh yes. I wonder if you'll find her in time."

…

Teresa stood with her back against the small cliff side cabin, looking out into the expanse of ocean before her. The ring felt like a weight in her pocket, pulling her down, making her too heavy to move. She kept her eyes on the horizon.

No-one knew about this place, not even her brothers. It was just hers now. It used to be a place that her and her mother shared when they wanted some girl time, and her mother had left it to her. No-one else knew and that was the way she wanted it. She would just stay out of the way, and stop ruining everyone's' lives.

She wrapped her arms around her chest and sank to the floor. She had to let them go, but it was hard. She didn't want to be alone, not really. Her mind flashed back to the scene she'd walked in on earlier and a tear rolled down her face.

Patrick loved somebody else, not her. She knew when to give up, and now was her time. SHe pulled her gaze away from the horizon and walked back into the small and musty cabin, pushing the wooden door shut behind her. SHe walked over to the small cot in the corner and simply fell face down onto it, her sobs being muffled by the dusty pillow. She would start a new life, and lock her heart away forever. It didn't even belong to her anymore, anyway.

It belonged to Patrick Jane.

**TBC…?**


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own the Mentalist.**

**CBI High**

**Chapter 11**

Patrick burst into Minelli's office, interrupting a conversation between him and the scary English teacher Mrs Hightower. Hightower glared at the blonde haired young man, but Minelli just looked worried.

"Patrick, what's wrong?"

"She's gone!" Patrick burst out, feeling dizzy and scared. The last time Teresa had been that upset, she had almost gotten herself killed. God only knew what she'd do this time. Minelli took one look at the boy's face and his own went hard.

"You hurt her again, didn't you?"

Patrick looked at his feet uncomfortably. "Well, not me exactly, it was more Angela-"

"For god's sake Patrick, you should know Angela's no good by now! She's been trying to get at Teresa for years! She's probably doing a victory dance right now!"

Hightower suddenly interrupted. "Who are we talking about here?"

Minelli turned briefly to her. "Teresa."

"Lisbon?" Hightower sounded concerned. "She's missing?"

Minelli sighed. "Yeah, it's Teresa Lisbon. If what I think is correct, Patrick has hurt her _again_."

Patrick looked utterly ashamed of himself and didn't say a word. Minelli's face tightened.

"Let's see if her brothers know where she is then." He said firmly as he walked up to Patrick. "And _you_ can tell them what happened."

...

Teresa looked outside. It was still quite light out, but night was slowly setting in, painting the surroundings of the cabin in shadows. She'd cried herself to a fitful slumber, and felt no better for doing so. She knew that what she was doing was selfish, but she was just so tired. Tired of always doing the right thing, tired of looking after her family 24/7 without any help, tired of having her heart crushed constantly.

It was all in his eyes when she told Minelli where her heart was. She swallowed heavily. She wouldn't fall to the same level as her father and kill herself, but she couldn't be a burden to the rest of them anymore. She closed her eyes and steeled her resolve. She would stay here until everyone had forgotten where and who she was.

She opened them again five seconds later with a regretful sigh. As much as she'd rather stay in the cabin forever with no contact from the outside world, she couldn't. She'd sworn to herself that she wouldn't let her brothers go through the horror of finding, or even seeing her dead body, so she needed to go and buy food. It had been years since she'd last been up here, and that meant no edible food remained in there. Wiping her face with her hands hurriedly, she pulled on a pair of boots and a coat from the closet and set off down the road, watching the ocean as she did.

...

Minelli sighed and ran his hands over his face. Her brothers hadn't known where she had gone, though they did each punch Patrick for hurting her again. He was now down with the nurse, getting his nose, arm and leg looked at. Minelli smiled. Those four boys in his school were protective over Teresa, and Minelli was sure if Patrick didn't find her and convince her to come back, no-one would ever find his dead body. He'd had the boys and Grace put out a BOLO on her, but there had been no hits just yet. He continued scrolling down the Page on his computer before stopping at one particular item; Talia Lisbon's will. It was worth a shot, he decided, and opened up the file quickly, scrolling down until he reached the part he was looking for.

_And to my daughter Teresa, I leave the cabin we__ went to for times we needed to get away from the boys for a while._

Minelli's serious expression lifted slightly as he made a quick search into properties Talia Lisbon bought. Writing down the address quickly, he jumped up from his chair and walked briskly out of the room.

...

Teresa wandered back up the cliff road slowly, her hands laden with bags. Since she didn't particularly like shopping all that much, she'd gotten a lot of food that would last around a week or so. Bread, milk, some chicken, salad, tins of soup, and other essentials she needed for a while. Sighing quietly as she diverged from the original road to a small, barely known path leading to the cabin hidden amongst the trees. Her mother had bought it for the seclusion it offered, the tranquillity it held. Teresa walked up the path slowly only to stop when the cabin came into view.

"Teresa." Virgil Minelli stood up as he saw the scared looking teen appear. Teresa's eyes widened and she took a step back, looking frantically for a place to go to. Virgil held his hands up in surrender.

"Calm down Tess, it's just me. I haven't told anyone else where you are, and I only found out through sheer luck." Teresa looked at him and he sighed. "Your mom's will told me where you'd most likely be." Teresa sighed.

"Should've known." she muttered. "Mom probably knew I'd do something like this one day." Virgil smiled tightly.

"With your hot head, yeah, she probably knew."

Teresa's face tightened. "You want to know what happened."

Virgil nodded. "Yeah, it'd help."

"He didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That he changed his mind."

Minelli's face dropped as shock took over his features. "He what?"

Teresa looked down, a tear trickling down her face. "I saw him. Kissing Angela. He changed his mind Virgil, and he couldn't even just tell me. If he just told me, I would've understood. Hell, I probably would've agreed with him."

"What do you mean, Teresa?" Virgil asked gently. Teresa smiled self-depreciatively as she passed him to unlock the front door of the cabin.

"Why would he want me Virgil? Angela's bright and bubbly, and isn't broken. Can you please tell him I hope they're very happy together?"

"Teresa..."

"You can come in if you want. But first can you do me a favour?"

"Anything Tess, you know that."

Teresa nodded. "I'm not coming back Virgil, so when you do, can you please give this to Patrick?" She asked, holding her shaking hand out. Virgil took the ring from her palm, sorrow in his eyes.

"Teresa, are you-?"

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" She interrupted before he could finish his sentence. Minelli's face dropped slightly, but he nodded anyway.

"Yeah, okay."

...

Patrick hit the wall with a force he didn't know he possessed, wincing as his fist made contact with the hard stone. He didn't know where Teresa had gone, but he knew he needed to find her. He didn't like Angela, not in that way at least, but obviously, it hadn't looked that way. He punched the wall again in frustration. He needed to find her, to apologise for everything he'd done, and to beg her to forgive him. The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly made him turn. Minelli stood in the doorway, a lingering sadness lurking in his eyes.

"She's not coming back, Patrick."

Patrick heart froze. "She's dead?"

"What? No, she's not. She's alive and safe, she's just not coming back."

"Where is she?"

"I can't tell you."

"Please."

"I can't. Patrick, she asked me to give you this." Minelli held up the ring he'd given Teresa to cement their relationship. "She said to tell you she hopes you and Angela are happy together."

Patrick's face dropped, but he nodded. "There's no hope, is there?" He said dully.

"I never said that."

**TBC...**


End file.
